Acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan withdrew from consideration to be confirmed to the job permanently, President Trump said Tuesday, plunging the Pentagon into leadership upheaval for the second time in six months. Several other positions, including White House chief of staff, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and United Nations ambassador, are filled by those functioning in an acting role. As late as Monday night, White House officials were telling reporters Shanahan would be confirmed. Potentially introducing a further complication to the situation, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act will not permit Esper to be the Pentagon chief nominee while holding the job of acting defense secretary, said Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine general who has assisted in defense secretary confirmations, including Shanahan’s. He said Shanahan did not face the Vacancies Act as deputy defense secretary because under a different law organizing the U.S. military, he was allowed to fill the acting Pentagon chief position under succession guidelines.

Source: Washington Post June 18, 2019 17:20 UTC